Self-lighting gas burner.



ND. 670,332. Patented Mar. l9, I90l. A. SIMONINL SELF LIGHTING GASBURNER.

(Application filed Mar. 9, 1900.] (N o M 0 d el.)

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ANGELO SllWIONlNI, OF BROOKLYN, NEYV YORK.

SELF-=LIGHTING GAS-BURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,332, dated March19, 1901.

Application filed March 9,1900. Serial No. 3,025. (No model.)

To all 10720717, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANGELO SIMONINI, a

- subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary,

residing at Brooklyn, in'the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-LightingGas-Burners, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to lighting devices for gas-burners, theoperation and advantages of which will be hereinafter set forth,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is aperspective view of an open burner, showing my invention appliedthereto; Fig. 2, a somewhat enlarged View of the igniter proper; Fig. 3,aview showing the invention adapted to ignite the gas passing from anincandescent mantle; Fig. 4, an enlarged detail view of one of thestrands or threads before itis ashed or burned, and Fig. 5 a similarview of the strand after it has been ashed.

The present invention comprises in its broadest sense the combination ofa preliminary heater capable of absorbing and condensing gases orvapors, and thereby caused to glow, a second or intermediate heater,which absorbs a certain degree of heat from said preliminary heater andin so doing becomes active, and a third member or igniter, which in andofitself isincapable of becoming active, but which when heated by theintermediate heater will become active and highly incandescent, finallyigniting the gas. In other words, the invention comprises thecombination of a preliminary heater, a second or intermediate heater,and an igniter, each in turn acting upon the other to bring about theultimate object sought to be attained-namely, the ignition of the gas.

The preliminary heater (designated by A in the drawings) is made up orcomposed largely of platinum-black, which is capable of and does absorband condense gases or oxygen and becomes hot, or, as generally stated,glows.

The secondary or intermediate heater may be prepared in the followingmanner: Acctton thread which has a very fine, platinum wire embodied init, as B in Fig. at, is impregnated with a solution of platinum chlo lrid. After drying the cotton is burned out and the wire is left coatedwith a covering of porous platinum. If a strong solution is used, thenit oftentimes occurs that the platinum wire is surrounded by or forms asupport for a mass of spongy platinum, as is indicated in Fig. 5, whichshows the ashed thread. The degree of cove ring of porous platinumformed upon the wire and the amount of spongy platinum which is leftafter the thread has been ashed aredependent upon the concentration ofthe solution used, and in a like manner and to a like degree and extentthe ultimate capabilities of the thread or wire thus formed areaffected. For instance, if the solution be not too concentrated and theporous covering is consequently thin this thread will act as an igniterdirect; but should the solution be quite concentrated then the coatingis thick and heavy and the thread is incapable of that action which willbring about an ignition of the gas. In other words, it will not becomeheated to a sufficient degree to ignite the gas and can then act only asan intermediate heater to take up the glow from the pill ofplatinum-black and transfer it to the igniter proper.

It is of course not absolutely essential or necessary that the spongyplatinum mass of the intermediate heater should cover the platinum wire.It is manifest that it might be inclosed in a network of the latter. Forinstance, ordinary cotton threads without platinum wire might beimpregnated with platinu m-chlorid solutions, dried,and then coveredwith a netting of platinum wire. After the cotton is burned out spongyplatinum is left, with a grating or cage of platinum wire.

The igniter proper may be composed of one or more, pieces of bareplatinum wire or a combination of platinum wire and one or more of therare earths, as indicated by the threads 0, which after having derived acertain degree of heat from this intermediate heater just described arerendered capable of becoming so highly incandescent by the action of thegas as to ignite the gas.

I do not desire to limit or restrict myself to the exact details hereinset forth, as my invention consists, broadly, in the combination of thepreliminary heater, the intermediate heater, and the igniter, all actingin conjunction with each other to bring about the desired result, whichis the ignition of the gas or vapor.

The construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings embodies thethermostatic device for carrying the lighter out of the path of theflame after the gas has been ignited. The lighter is of course returnedto that position where it will be in the path of the issuing gas afterthe flame is extinguished and the thermostatic device becomes cool.This, however, forms no part of my present invention and is simply shownfor the purpose of illustrating the Working of the device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A lighter forgases or vapors, comprising a preliminary heater capable of absorbingand condensing gases at normal or moderate temperature, and beingthereby rendered more or less incandescent; an intermediate heaterconsisting of a Wire of the platinum group in combination with a porousbody of metal of the platinum group; and an igniter capable of beingrendered active by 3. A heater for a lighter for gases and vapors,comprising a wire of the platinum group having a rough or porous coatingof metal of the platinum group; and a mass of spongy metal of saidplatinum group supported and held by said wire.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANGELO SIMONINI.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILLIAMS, GEO. J. ADAMS.

